The way an audience perceives the play is shaped by the choice of performance venue, as well as the set that is designed for the play. Indeed, all the elements that you see and hear during a performance are bound to shape your perception of the play. Which of the following venues do you think can best meet the needs of the play? Choose one of the follow and explain why you have selected this kind of venue. proscenium, arena, thrust, flexible. The playwright describes the set as “a continuous flow of action, set on various platforms with suggestions of time and place…” so I believe the play should be set on a flexible stage so the director can manipulate it to where there are several different areas where the various scenes take place. For example, one portion of the stage would be where the shooting takes place, another would be Val and Alea’s apartment, etc. I believe since this play is pretty brisk with minimal props, we don’t want to keep the audience focused on just one part of the stage. Also, I don’t think the area where Val shoots Willis should be the same area where he talks to his wife or his father. I think this area of the stage should almost be “designated” as the location of the crime, similar to how in real life no one is supposed to enter a crime scene because it gets blocked off by police to explore the crime.
What are some of the challenges posed by the play on the stage design team? The playwright wants various platforms for the various scenes so I think the design team would need to figure out a way to manipulate the stage so different areas could be designated to different scenes. Perhaps some areas may have to be elevated or the may have to add a piece of stage to the side, away from the main stage, as the crime scene. The design team would also need to build the set to portray New York City.
Choose a character from the play and suggest how she/he should be dressed. In what ways do you think the costume would help accentuate his/her character? Be sure to indicate which scene you have selected to costume that character. You might even upload a picture of the kind of dress you think would be suitable for that character to wear. I would imagine William H. Willis would be dressed almost as nasty as the words that come out of his mouth. The playwright even notes that he should be wearing “street clothes”. I picture him in dirty clothes with unwashed hair and an overall unhygienic exterior. I think this would accentuate his scumbag character. Typically, we judge people on appearances (even though we are not supposed to) and one would judge his appearance as dirty and unwelcoming. This would be the opening scene where Val and Willis have their confrontation, ultimately ending in Val shooting and killing Willis.
Given the content of the play, how might the lighting design help further the mood of the production? Move thru the play scene by scene to provide a possible progression. I think throughout the play there would be dull lighting. This play has zero humor and the overall theme is pretty dark, as the main topic is murder. In the first scene, I think there should be limited light to imitate maybe a few street lamps or ambient light from the moon since we are a dark, dangerous street. In the next scene where Val and Parker are conversing, I would imagine some office lighting (white artificial light). At the bar in the next scene, I would imagine dim lighting (as there is in bars) because bars typically want to give off the feeling of a cool mood. In the last scene of Act I, where Alea and Val are in their apartment, I would imagine very dim lights as it is around four in the morning and Val wouldn’t want to bother his wife (who is trying to sleep) too much. In the first scene of the second act, we open on Val and Rusty at Rusty’s apartment. I believe this should just have natural, normal light, as Rusty does not have any idea what Val has done until well into their conversation. I believe the lighting can be similar in the following scene at Val and Alea’s apartment. In the next scene, where Charlie and Val are on a park bench, I imagine lighting similar to street lamps illuminating the stage; focused and dim. Back at Alea and Val’s apartment in the next scene, I think the lighting should brighten up a bit because this is a pretty intense scene between Rusty, Alea, and Val. Lastly, I think there should just be a spotlight on Val in the last scene. This could imitate how he is feeling. All of the lighting on him could insinuate all the guilt that rests on his shoulders from what he has done.
Suggest music or sound effects that might be used to accentuate the mood or atmosphere of the play and the transitions between parts of the play. You might even choose to upload music or sound effects that you think are suitable for the play, or moment in the play, or as preshow music or transitions from one scene to another. The playwright mentions that the music “should be comparable to the sound of wind chimes, tinkling, almost trembling. It’s effect should be mysterious, haunting and melancholy.” I think the music and sound effects need to give off an eerie mood, as this seems to overlay the entire play. I imagine all music to be in minor keys, to accentuate the mood. I think the music should be kept at a hushed tone, so the audience can focus on the dialogue, yet still have that eerie sound in the background. I think the beginning and ending of each scene should have sound effects that leave the audience silent and feeling the heaviness of the play.
The playwright describes the set as “a continuous flow of action, set on various platforms with suggestions of time and place…” so I believe the play should be set on a flexible stage so the director can manipulate it to where there are several different areas where the various scenes take place. For example, one portion of the stage would be where the shooting takes place, another would be Val and Alea’s apartment, etc. I believe since this play is pretty brisk with minimal props, we don’t want to keep the audience focused on just one part of the stage. Also, I don’t think the area where Val shoots Willis should be the same area where he talks to his wife or his father. I think this area of the stage should almost be “designated” as the location of the crime, similar to how in real life no one is supposed to enter a crime scene because it gets blocked off by police to explore the crime.
What are some of the challenges posed by the play on the stage design team?
The playwright wants various platforms for the various scenes so I think the design team would need to figure out a way to manipulate the stage so different areas could be designated to different scenes. Perhaps some areas may have to be elevated or the may have to add a piece of stage to the side, away from the main stage, as the crime scene. The design team would also need to build the set to portray New York City.
Choose a character from the play and suggest how she/he should be dressed. In what ways do you think the costume would help accentuate his/her character? Be sure to indicate which scene you have selected to costume that character. You might even upload a picture of the kind of dress you think would be suitable for that character to wear.
I would imagine William H. Willis would be dressed almost as nasty as the words that come out of his mouth. The playwright even notes that he should be wearing “street clothes”. I picture him in dirty clothes with unwashed hair and an overall unhygienic exterior. I think this would accentuate his scumbag character. Typically, we judge people on appearances (even though we are not supposed to) and one would judge his appearance as dirty and unwelcoming. This would be the opening scene where Val and Willis have their confrontation, ultimately ending in Val shooting and killing Willis.
Given the content of the play, how might the lighting design help further the mood of the production? Move thru the play scene by scene to provide a possible progression.
I think throughout the play there would be dull lighting. This play has zero humor and the overall theme is pretty dark, as the main topic is murder. In the first scene, I think there should be limited light to imitate maybe a few street lamps or ambient light from the moon since we are a dark, dangerous street. In the next scene where Val and Parker are conversing, I would imagine some office lighting (white artificial light). At the bar in the next scene, I would imagine dim lighting (as there is in bars) because bars typically want to give off the feeling of a cool mood. In the last scene of Act I, where Alea and Val are in their apartment, I would imagine very dim lights as it is around four in the morning and Val wouldn’t want to bother his wife (who is trying to sleep) too much. In the first scene of the second act, we open on Val and Rusty at Rusty’s apartment. I believe this should just have natural, normal light, as Rusty does not have any idea what Val has done until well into their conversation. I believe the lighting can be similar in the following scene at Val and Alea’s apartment. In the next scene, where Charlie and Val are on a park bench, I imagine lighting similar to street lamps illuminating the stage; focused and dim. Back at Alea and Val’s apartment in the next scene, I think the lighting should brighten up a bit because this is a pretty intense scene between Rusty, Alea, and Val. Lastly, I think there should just be a spotlight on Val in the last scene. This could imitate how he is feeling. All of the lighting on him could insinuate all the guilt that rests on his shoulders from what he has done.
Suggest music or sound effects that might be used to accentuate the mood or atmosphere of the play and the transitions between parts of the play. You might even choose to upload music or sound effects that you think are suitable for the play, or moment in the play, or as preshow music or transitions from one scene to another.
The playwright mentions that the music “should be comparable to the sound of wind chimes, tinkling, almost trembling. It’s effect should be mysterious, haunting and melancholy.” I think the music and sound effects need to give off an eerie mood, as this seems to overlay the entire play. I imagine all music to be in minor keys, to accentuate the mood. I think the music should be kept at a hushed tone, so the audience can focus on the dialogue, yet still have that eerie sound in the background. I think the beginning and ending of each scene should have sound effects that leave the audience silent and feeling the heaviness of the play.